12 Things I Want In 2012

So we’re in a new year and I’m starting a new website here so I decided to make a list of twelve things I'd really like to see happen in 2012.  In addition to stating a certain thing that I would like to happen in 2012, I will also give a prediction of how likely it will happen. On a scale of 0-100%, the higher the percentage, the better the chance I think this event will occur.  I'm personally going by my own instincts and the facts that I do know, so just because I think this, doesn't mean it's necessarily the answer.  Anyway, please give this a read, feel free to share your opinions on this article either here in the comments section or on the STVO Universe Facebook page at this link here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/STVO-Universe/253175679524

12. Get a Date with Katy Perry: The beautiful and in my opinion, talented pop music artist appears to be done with her husband actor Russell Brand. Personally I never thought they fit well together. Hasn’t she seen Get Him to The Greek?  Katy and me would be great for each other: we’re both fun, we like to wear weird outfits, and she seems like she might have a nerdy side to her. If she ever wants to go out for dinner or something, she can give me a call/e-mail/FB message anytime.

Probability: 0%

11. WWE Network to Be Successful and on Ad-Supported Cable (Preferably Comcast): The WWE Network sounds like a pro-wrestling fan’s dream come true. They will be having a wide range of WWE programming including reality shows centered around WWE Superstars past and present, interactive programming, wrestling events taped for WWE Network, and classic archived footage from WCW, ECW, AWA, and of course WWF/WWE history.  They are also thinking about making non-wrestling programs to appeal to the non-wrestling fans.  I personally love the sound of the network and really hope it will be available on ad-supported cable as Comcast is my provider. I think that by being on ad-supported cable, they could better experiment with the non-wrestling shows among a wider audience while if they were to be a premium cable service they would struggle to gain audiences outside of the die-hard fans because no matter what they’ll try to do, everyone will always see the letters “WWE” as a wrestling company even if they claim the letters no longer stand for “World Wrestling Entertainment.” Either way, if I get this channel it will be a guilty pleasure channel for me like VH1 Classic. I’m not sure in the end if it will be ad-supported as it appears that Vince McMahon & Co. are heading the channel themselves and will not be backed by a partner such as Comcast.  The channel has recently delayed the planned launch of April 2012 to sometime closer to the end of the year.

Probability of it Being Successful: 50%

Probability of It Being Ad-Supported: 40%

10. Brock Lesnar to Have a WWE Match at SummerSlam 2012: December 30^th of 2011, Brock Lesnar officially announced retirement from UFC after his loss to Allistair Overeem. Despite retiring, he is still under UFC contract and UFC president Dana White says that Lesnar will remain under contract until he and Lesnar come to an agreement of being free from the contract.  In the meantime, no Brock Lesnar in WWE.  Right now, I believe Brock Lesnar wants to heal up from his fight and there will be quite a bit of paper work and money issues to be discussed, so I don’t think we’ll see Brock Lesnar in WWE in time for Wrestlemania 28, the biggest wrestling show of the year. Supposedly, the WWE wants him back real bad.  I think the WWE will work hard to get him back within the year, so if they do get him back at all, I think they will want Brock Lesnar to have a match at the second biggest wrestling PPV of the year: SummerSlam. Negotiations can take awhile, but I think if WWE wants him back real soon, they can settle a deal with UFC by May. If they don’t settle with anything by then, I think there’s a better possibility that Brock Lesnar will be back in 2013, likely for WrestleMania 29.

Probability: 65%

9. Go to Either E3 or San Diego Comic Con This Summer: As a cosplayer, a gamer, and a lover of mostly everything nerdy both of these places are definitely on my bucket list.  Ever since I was in the 6^th grade (that was in 1996-1997) I always salivated at the pictures of new games presented at E3 either through EGM magazine or by going to N64.com (now IGN.com.)  I sometimes will request days off or trade hours at work to watch G4’s coverage of E3 to make sure I catch the big conferences (Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, etc.)  As far as San Diego Comic Con, I am a sucker for meeting celebrities, finding out big announcements on upcoming movies, being their first hand to see a new trailer, etc.  I would also really like to showcase a cosplay of mine and interact with other cosplayers in a bigger conference (although Anime Central only continues to grow.)  I’m hoping to find a way into E3, but I’m not 100% sure if I’ll get in (as it’s a press and industry only event.) San Diego Comic Con, while open to the public is rather difficult to get into.  Tickets have not gone on sale yet as of this writing (1/7/12) but as soon as I know my chances of going to E3, I will get on the ball and chain and see if I can get into it. My goal is hopefully to go to one or the other this year. If I don’t money will be saved (except for my trip to Hawaii next month) and I can plan accordingly for next year.

E3 Probability: 45%

SDCC Probability: 55%

8. All the Animated Movies to Do Real Well: 2012 has some great movies on the way such as The Dark Knight Rises, The Avengers, The Bourne Legacy, and The Hobbit. While all those look excellent, I am highly anticipating several animated films in 2012 for both the kid in me and for that I am one that likes to let their imagination run wild.  My most anticipated animated films for this year are Disney-Pixar’s Brave, The Pirates: Band of Misfits, Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax, and Paranorman.  Those look highly imaginative and fun. Madagascar 3 and Ice Age: Continental Drift are on the way as well.  While I think those two movies could be very good they don’t pique interest as much because they have been done before.  While I think that Brave, Ice Age, and Madagascar will do well, it’s anybody’s guess on how the other three would do. Dr. Seuss will be up against Jeff: Who Lives at Home and Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, The Pirates are going up against the Clash of the Titans sequel, and Paranorman is going up against The Expendables 2. Right now I think The Lorax and Pirate: BOM could go either way depending how the trailers look and I think Paranorman might face some stiff competition, though it’s lucky that most kids aren’t likely to see The Expendables 2.

Brave/Madagascar 3/Ice Age Probability: 100%

Paranorman Probability: 40%

Probability of The Rest: 50%

7. New StarFox Game: Ever since the first StarFox title arrived on the Super NES, each home console received a release of the title including the Nintendo 64, Nintendo Gamecube (received two!), and eventually it made it’s portable console debut on the Nintendo DS with StarFox Command.  Fall of last year, StarFox 64 received the remake treatment by being re-released in 3D in the form of StarFox 64 3D for the Nintendo 3DS.  According to gamrReview, the 3D remake has so far has sold a total around 509,000 which in comparison to the Ocarina of Time 3D has sold over 2 million worldwide. I’m not particularly sure if this is what Nintendo was expecting, but I’m hoping it might be enough to warrant a new title sometime down the road.  With the WiiU release coming up, they could really use some amazing titles and I think this could be a title that would fit the line-up if developed right.  The 3DS can always use some more titles as well and if the 3D remake got the reception Nintendo wanted, perhaps they should pursue an all-new title as well?  If they do another title, I hope they have it developed in one of their internal studios or perhaps give it back to the team who programmed StarFox Command. I personally didn’t care much for StarFox Assault or StarFox Adventures. Let’s just face it, Fox McCloud outside of Smash Bros. was meant to do his battles in the Arwing or Landmaster, not by foot. While it may not be released this year, there is a possibility it will be shown at E3.

Probability: 65%

6. Pikmin 3 Finally Revealed in Trailer: I’ve been waiting so long for this! I personally always wanted to play a Pikmin game built from the ground up for the Wii.  While they did release a port of the original Pikmin on Wii, I have already played both games on the Gamecube and am really in desire of a new title in the series.  Shigeru Miyamoto has announced awhile back that this title is in-development and reportedly according to IGN it will be coming to WiiU.  While it has been in talks forever, something tells me that 2012 will be the year Pikmin 3 finally shows up! I’m not entirely sure if it will be out this year but considering Nintendo can use a few good titles for WiiU from the first and third parties, there is a good possibility!

Probability: 80%

5. iPhone 5 to Be Released Summer: For me I would like for it to include 4G, 3D, and well any other cool stuff they’re thinking of that I can’t right now! Honestly, I bought an iPhone 4 sometime in summer of 2010 and I love it dearly!  With the iPhone; I can chat with my friends, make updates for Facebook, read important e-mails, watch a video on the go, you name it!  Last year, everyone anticipated the launch of iPhone 5 but instead we received iPhone 4S.  While it is a great new device with the new Siri application among other features, I don’t consider it enough at the moment to make the upgrade.  It’s approaching the two-year mark though and I’m becoming eligible for an upgrade.  I’m not a huge techie, so I’m not sure what the good people of Apple are doing right now with iPad 3 or iPhone 5, but surely we know they are hard at work.  While iPhone 4S came out in the fall of last year, I’m going to make a blind guess (and coming from me, it’s a very blind one) but predict that iPhone 5 will be released in late June similar to the iPhone 4 and in-time for me to make an upgrade!

Probability: 90%

4. Deadpool Movie Trailer Revealed: This is one movie I really want to see hit the big screen! I’m not a big comic book reader, but when I do, I enjoy reading what I have read of Deadpool as I find him funny, entertaining, and quite the badass. :looks at IMDB.com page and sees Deadpool the movie listed for 2014: DAMN IT!!!

Probability: O%

3. Knuckles the Echidna to be Relevant Again: Knuckles was introduced in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 in 1994. Knuckles is a great character in the Sonic series that I feel has been overshadowed by the likes of Shadow the Hedgehog and less important characters that have been added to the Sonic series since the Sonic Adventure titles. My hope is that with Sonic the Hedgehog 4 being released in parts, we will see him back possibly part 3.  Unfortunately, Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Part 2 is being released this year so that’s not likely to happen. On the positive, Sonic’s loyal companion Tails will be in the next one and that’s a good start to putting more focus on the core characters. In the mean time, perhaps the obscure but fun Knuckles 32X title “Knuckles’ Chaotix” can be released on the Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network? One could hope at least.

Probability: 40%

2. Shigeru Miyamoto’s New IP to Be Revealed at E3: It has been reported that in addition to Pikmin 3 and Luigi’s Mansion 2, the famed creator of Mario and Zelda is working on a new intellectual property to be released.  The most recent titles that Shigeru Miyamoto has produced that aren’t sequels have been Wii Sports, Wii Fit, Nintendogs, and the Pikmin series on Nintendo Gamecube.  For me personally, I hope the new IP is something more similar to a Mario, Zelda, Pikmin, or perhaps a puzzle game similar to Tetris or Puzzle League.  Shigeru Miyamoto is a creative man and usually unpredictable.  I’m not sure what his next IP will be or if it will be ready for E3, but I am hoping that it will continue to please me like most of his other titles do.  As Nintendo plans to launch the WiiU this year and will continue to reveal more info throughout the year, it wouldn’t surprise me that we will see some familiar titles revealed and some new but fun looking titles come along the way. With the original Wii lacking new IPs from Nintendo besides Flingsmash, the “Wii” series, and perhaps you could count “Mario vs. Sonic at [insert] Olympics”, I warmly welcome a new series or stand-alone game.

Probability: 70%

1. For you all to keep visiting STVO Universe: I want this site to be a fun and enjoyable read and in some cases watch.  I’m into a wide range of nerdy interests and I have a lot of opinions, so I hope you all come back for more!

Probability: You let me know!

That is all for now, keep checking here on STVO Universe for more opinion pieces, lists, news bits, and soon, video! Until then, thanks for reading!